Roomies Prequel
by GotchaYouLilDirtbag
Summary: Prequel to Roomies. Occurs immediately after Kate takes Sawyer out from the Hatch for the first time when she sees the horse. It starts as they return to the Hatch. Enjoy! I hope.


Prequel to Roomies. Occurs immediately after Kate takes Sawyer out from the Hatch for the first time when she sees the horse. It starts as they return to the Hatch.

Enjoy!

Roomies Prequel

Somebody had moved the damn bunk bed!

Sawyer reined both himself and Kate to a halt just inside the airlock door and stared across the room. Shit. The same joker that brought that fancy horse to the island had snuck in around behind his back and pushed the whole bunkroom at least 100 mile back from the door: that had to be the story. How else could it have moved so far away? He felt suddenly weak and very very stupid: insisting on that tour had been a damn foolish thing to do. Christ.

"Sawyer?" Freckles asked from underneath his right arm and elbow, where he was slowly crushing her. "You OK?"

"Yeah." He lied, feeling even more stupid knowing that she would know he was lying. The muscles in his legs were twitching like he'd just run 5 mile, not just shambled less than 100 feet, how the hell was he going to make the next 99.9 odd mile dignity intact? Kate's fingers suddenly dug into his flank as she tightened her arm around his back, pulling him against her as snug as a Siamese twin. Not a disagreeable thing, but at the moment he was thoroughly distracted by the vast empty space in front of him.

"Come on: just a few more feet." She said evenly, suddenly tugging him away from the door. She spoke with no inflection of pity or fuss and so quietly that only the two of them would hear it. He was embarrassingly grateful for it. "You're doing fine."

Doing fine? He frowned. He felt like seven shades of shit, he was walking more like a man of 86 than 36, and probably couldn't hold up his own weight if Freckles suddenly let go: and this was 'doing fine'? The frown turned into an angry glower. He had been so gung-ho to call her bluff about their rescue, to be freed from this sandy prison, that needing someone to help him make the final push to the finish line had not even registered. But now... Now, reality was coming home to roost and he could not ignore it, nor hide it from anyone else: he was as helpless and pathetic as a newborn baby. An angry fucking helpless and pathetic new born baby, but a baby nonetheless. And even if he could actually pry his twin away from his torso, all that would happen now was that he would end up on his ass and then, knowing Freckles, she'd probably try to carry him the rest of the way.

"Sawyer?" Freckles suddenly asked.

"Let's go." He snapped.

"What's going on?" Somebody suddenly demanded from across the room. Jesus! Sawyer jerked back, taken by surprise. He rocked backwards, wrenching his wounded shoulder and sending blinding sharp streaks of pain from his chest right down to his fingertips. Stars burst in front of his eyes and the world suddenly faded in and out like a busted TV. "What is he doing up? Kate-"

"Jack!" Freckles yelped suddenly, annoyingly shrill. What was up her skirts? Then he realised; his backwards sway was still going backwards! Falling. The world tilted alarmingly, and then suddenly his human prop grew a good foot taller and sprouted a three day growth. He did not have anytime to ponder that one because he blinked and everything was churning, rushing around him like a tornado. The room spun. Floor, ceiling, walls, a flash of brown jeans and red singlet top, and he was rushing like a bullet down the barrel of a gun towards the bunkroom door. Jesus Christ, what the hell was going on? He watched the doorway speed towards him. Then he blinked again and fell into a kaleidoscope:

Multicoloured sparks of pain in his shoulder

Small calloused hands against his skin, pulling away the jacket

Larger hands pushing him down onto the bed

Bars of reflected light shimmying sickeningly on the underside of the top bunk

Voices

A strange distant beeping noise and then -

"What the hell were you thinking?" Jack was demanding of someone. Sawyer did not bother to get involved; he was back in the bunk bed and needed all his concentration to deal with the lopsided merry-go-round that had taken up residence inside his skull. Plus his shoulder, right down to his fingertips, had somehow grown into one giant exposed nerve of throbbing hurt and Jack was tugging painfully at the bandage that covered it. Every little pull sent out a rippling cascade of pain until he was aware of his arm and each finger on that arm only by how much they fucking hurt. What the hell was the doc doing?

"Godam't –gerrorff!" He warned, slurring like a drunk. Everything hurt, and Dr Menglhe just would not stop poking his shoulder! It didn't matter who was seeing him reduced to feebleness now – it just hurt to damn bad to care.

"Shut up Sawyer! And hold still." Jack ordered, huffing angrily. More tugging. More shockwaves rattling down to his bones, making him twitch like he'd been shocked. He grunted. "Kate, what were you thinking? He still has a fever, he has to stay in bed for at least another few days- "

"I said, get off!" Sawyer forced his eyes to open and locate the target. His fist, the one attached to his good arm, curled into a fist. He pushed it up through the treacle air.

"Sawyer! No!" Kate suddenly spoke and grabbed his wrist in mid swing. He was as weak as a kitten and could not fight her as she pulled his fist away and pinned it to the bed above his shoulder. "Dammnit, Jack watch what you're doing!" Sawyer blinked and rolled his eyes her way. What the hell? Did Freckles just yell at Jack? And on his behalf? He squinted up at her as she stared Jack down. He blinked. This couldn't be real. Everything felt fuzzy, like his brain was filled with cotton.

"Sorry." Jack said. "I'm- I just - He has to stay in bed for at least another two days. No excursions, no leaving the Hatch." He heard the doc sigh. "I don't need to tell you how close it was Kate. He can't leave the bed again. All right?"

"All right." She agreed. Hang on a damn minute-

"Hey, I ain't stayin' in bed for two whole days!" The fog cleared a little and he used the sudden clarity to glare at Jack. "Where'd you get two days from, anyway? That some medical magic number, or did you pull it out of your ass?"

"Sawyer." Jack shot back. "I'm not going to waste more medical supplies on you if you make yourself sick again." Sawyer continued glaring. "Two days." The doctor said again, holding up two fingers.

"Make him stay." Jack said to Kate. "If he tries to get out of the bed before sundown tomorrow, tie him into it."

"Oh, you like that do you?" Sawyer demanded, seeing Kate smile after the doctor as he stalked out of the room. "Tie a man down. Have your way with him." She didn't respond, but released his wrist walked across the room to the small bench on the other side. He watched her go, watched the entire package go. "You got some handcuffs over there Freckles?" She did not reply, but was suddenly coming back, carrying a blue cup. She was still wearing that Mona Lisa smile of hers. His eyes narrowed. "What's that?"

"Tea. Its one of Sun's recipes." She set mug down on the bedside table. "Come on, sit up." She reached for his good hand, where she had left it, lying fisted above his shoulder.

"I dunno Freckles." He said. She ignored him, pulling and forcing him sort of upright. The room shimmied with the change in altitude, but once again there was an arm around his back and he was able to ride it out. Then the cup was in front of his face. He looked down and sniffed. Jesus, it smelled vile. "The doc ain't gonna be too happy 'bout a patient drinking some jungle brew."

"Since when do you care what Jack thinks?" Kate said, shoving the cup at him. He pulled back.

"What's it do?"

"It's a natural painkiller. You can't have anymore of the pills for another few hours yet. It will help." She replied. "It'll help you sleep."

"Don't need no help with that. Been doing it most every night since I was born." He protested. "Let me down!"

"Sawyer, just drink the damn tea." She pushed it at him again. Oh crap. He took a tentative sip.

"Tastes like horseshit!" He felt like gagging. "This better work Freckles." He took a deep breath and downed the entire cup. "Oh shit." He groaned as he lay back down. "That's bad."

"Worse than that pink fruit Charlie found a few weeks ago?" She asked as she pulled the blankets back into place. He had to think about that for a good while before the rusty cogs in his brain kicked over.

"Oh, that fucking berry! Mr Staypuft over it yet? He was crapping through the eye of a needle last I saw him." He almost laughed at the memory and shifted on the bed, stretching his legs, suddenly very relaxed. He felt spacey – like a cat caught in a sunbeam.

"Its working isn't it?" Kate said. She was smiling again. He blinked at her, drowsy and actually quite stoned now that he thought about it.

"Huh?"

"The tea. It's working."

"Nah, it ain't." He was completely unconvincing, even to himself.

"Yes it is."

"All right. Maybe. A bit."

"Good." She stood up.

"Where are you going?" He heard himself say from way up on his High. He sounded alarmed, which was embarrassing. Damn tea, was making him sound desperate.

"Sleep." Kate said. "I'm tired. I'm going-"

"Well, now Freckles. I'd be happy to share."

"up here." She ignored him and grabbed hold of the railing of the top bunk. He watched her go. His shoulder did not protest very much, even when the bed dipped as she stood on it. Damn, but that tea was powerful stuff. He would have to talk to business with Sun after he got out of here. He yawned.

"There's room down here you know." He admonished, admiring the denim covered curves as Kate hauled herself up and out of sight.

"Shhh!"

"I promise I'll bite."

"Goodnight Sawyer!"


End file.
